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This Is Me--2019 A to Z Theme

The Challenge of 2019 was the 10th! Since this was kind of a milestone year for A to Z my theme was a retrospective of sorts, looking at my 10 years as a blogger as well as ruminations about my life as it is and as I hope it yet can be. I've got places to be and people to see along the way. Hope you'll join me for this part of my journey...

Always a work in progress--welcome to my blog.

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Monday, September 5, 2016

What Is Your Favorite Kind of Music? (Question of the Month)

Why do you like what you like? This is not always an easy question to answer and sometimes there is never one answer that will be consistent throughout ones life. In my case I've gone through many stages of preferences. What we like can change throughout our lives. The quest in this post is to consider questions like "why do our preferences change?"

For this month's Question topic I'll be discussing musical preference. However, before you go on, if you haven't voted on my most recent Battle of the Bands post then I hope you will go back to do so. The song that I've used is one that I like a great deal performed in two styles that I also enjoy. Listening to this song doesn't answer the question of this month as it applies to me, but it offers a clue. Well, maybe it does, but then again maybe it doesn't.

After all, the question of preference can be a complex one that is not easily answered in a few words or paragraphs. I'll try to keep my answer somewhat brief.

The Question of the Month is hosted by Michael G D'Agostinofrom A Life Examined.The first Monday of each month I'll be answering a question posed by Michael prior to event day. Click on the link to his blog for more participants.

This month's question Suggested by Alex J. Cavanaugh, here is the question for this month:

“What kind of music best speaks to you?”

The subject of preference is one that I've explored many times with no absolute conclusion ever drawn. Even when it comes down to the specific topic of music I can't name just one specific kind of music. My ears perk at just about any kind of music since I'm a musically inquisitive person by nature. Music was a integral part of my upbringing and has played a huge role in my life. Some of my earliest memories involve music and music has been a soundtrack of my life. Place, time, and circumstance play a role in whatever music I might be listening to. The company I am keeping or what I need to feel within me can determine what music I am listening to at any given time. Even an arbitrary intrusion of music will cause me to pause and listen--and ultimately decide if I like what I'm hearing or not. Rarely do I associate music with any bad memory. Taking for example, as referenced in my current Battle of the Bands post, I have an affinity for Latin flavored music--especially the music of Mexico. When I was a child my parents often played Latin style music around the house. I can recall often listening to an album of bullfight music. My mother used to do housework listening to Perez Prado. My father was on a continual quest to find catchy fast-paced juggling music which typically would contain lots of Latin style percussion. Part of my musical fabric was dyed with music from South of the Border and now hearing any of that style of music catches my musical attention as well as takes me to some comfortable emotion within me. Similarly classical and pop music is something I was weaned on from an early age to the extent that listening to either style is now a steady part of my musical diet. Years of listening to rock music has instilled within me a deep appreciation for all forms of that style and other related styles of music. Now I long for music in the same way that I feel a need for food, air, and a comfortable place to sleep. Sometimes the music sets my mood while at other times I decide the playlist. The music is almost always there. And when the music is not there in the physical realm then it is often playing in my mind. So what specific type of music speaks to me best? This is a case where superlatives are variables. The music that speaks best to me depends on me at the moment. There are times when I don't want to hear any music at all--a rarity, but it has happened. But then one might argue that this is when the music seeps through the silence--the wind, nature, street sounds, industrial clanking, or even the beat of my own heart and the blood coursing my veins. The music that speaks best to me is whichever music happens to be speaking at the moment.What types of music are you most drawn to? What is the most specific part of music that appeals to you? Did you ever or do you now play an instrument?

41 comments:

Having been brought up as a classical pianist I like all genre's of music though as you know I do have a soft spot for Irish singer Daniel O Donnell. I believe it all depends what mood I'm in as to what I listen to. I enjoy Chopin's music especially.Wonderful post Lee.Have a happy week.Yvonne.

Like I said last time, progressive rock is sort of what my brain is made out of. But I can spend a day listening to Pakistani folk music, and I like indie rock and lately, some underground hip hop. I have quite a bit of black metal and Brazilian music as well, although I can't really explain why.

My brain just naturally accepts and retains some music much, much better than other music. Jazz and country I've just never managed to get my head around at all. I wish I could.

Nasreen, a mystery indeed! One that I've been trying to unravel, but the answers are probably individually based. There is probably a lot of music categorized as jazz or country that you probably like but don't recognize as fitting in those genres. There is so much crossover in musical styles that lines are often blurred.

Since I have a deep love for all types of music, I had a hard time with this, too. But I did come up with an answer I like. Your reply is perfect, though: "The music that speaks best to me depends on me at the moment." I have to agree 100%. Great point.

Fabulous answer, Lee! I especially love this: "I long for music in the same way that I feel a need for food, air, and a comfortable place to sleep." This truly illustrates your passion for music. Happy Labour Day!

Lee, I'm sort of an in-the-moment music listener, too. Overall, I enjoy pop rock music. Anything from soft to middle of the road rock is my sweet spot. Of course, I love hearing new stuff and that's what I get every week when I blog hop either with BoTB or Monday Music crew. I can't imagine a world without music. I think life would be rather boring, if we didn't have songs to fill our hearts and head. :)

Cathy, I've always been attracted to exploring new music. Even as a small child I can remember going through my parents' record collection to discover the next thing that would be new to me. Music is as much of an adventure as it is a comforter.

I've always loved classic rock and pop, and also have a nostalgic love of Eighties and early Nineties music. For the most part, I've never gotten into contemporary music, though I listened to the Top 100 countdown on Sunday mornings for years as a teenager and in my early twenties.

I also love classical and Medieval music, and the 19th century composers. A lot of the classical and 19th century music records in my vinyl collection are treasures I scored from the free crate at Mystery Train Records in Amherst, MA. Others I got from my parents' relatively small record collection.

Carrie-Anne, you have an eclectic interest which perhaps is not specifically the same as mine, but in the essence of the spirit is similar to mine. Exploring musically "unknown" territory can be very enlightening and a lot of fun.

Your last line is an exquisite answer to the question! I always enjoy reading about your musical tastes as they're so varied. You know me, I'm stuck in the 70s as far as my favorites go, but I sure do like exploring different genres along the way...

I like just about everything, although there are some genres that I don't like at all like new country music and rap/hip hop. Or 'screaming diva music', which encompasses Mariah Carey and Celiene Dion and similar female singers. My fave band is the Grateful Dead so I like that best. And 60s'80s Top 40, plus the punk rock and new wave of the late 70s to early 80s. Most of the music I like from the past 25 years I've only heard on commercials then looked them up. I wanted to play drums so bad but my mother wouldn't let me. Said it wasn't ladylike. Pfftt

C.Lee, my inclinations have evolved over the years though what I once liked I continue to like even if I don't listen to it much any more. Once a piece of music has taken hold of me there's always a place within me for that piece of music.

I've never been a fan of classical music or opera and definitely do not like rap or hip-hop. I do find it interesting that a few times I've heard some of "my" golden oldies being intertwined in the music my kids listen to. I always make a point of letting them listen to the "real" thing! Great post.

I played drums through high school and listened to Perez Prado as a boy. Over the years my tastes have changed many times and have included old school R&B, white doo-wop, girl groups, classic glam and heavy metal, old school rap and hip hop, modern metal, modern pop, dance-pop, house and even gangsta rap. Over the last year I have developed a passion for Latin spiced music with rhythm. I use music much the same way I use food - as a tool. In recent years I have gravitated to up tempo music with a steady beat because it is the kind of music that it works best when exercising. I discovered that I am more motivated and my workouts go better when I can keep pace with the beat of the music.

Shady, maybe I need to put more uptempo music into my listening diet so that I'd be persuaded to exercise more. I definitely prefer more upbeat music when I'm driving especially if I'm starting to feel sleepy.

Hi Arlee! I think this might be the first time I've stopped here! Not sure why because I always see you on Stephen T's BOTB post, but I don't venture around much. ANYWAY... I like this post. I, too, don't have a particular genre of music that speaks to me. I love so many types of music, and it all depends on my mood at the time. I grew up during the best years of modern music (I believe!) I was born in the early 50s, and my parents had Glenn Miller LPs, and other instrumentals, which I remember vividly. And then of course, I loved just about everything I heard on the radio from then on. I even like some of "today's" music, but I've never liked jazz or rap. One minute I might be swaying to Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade", and the next song might be Freddy Fender's "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." :) Thanks for a thoughtful post!

Thanks so much, Arlee! What a neat guy you are! And yeah, we're probably close in age. I was born in 1953...a very good year ;)And I just saw your comment on my recent blog post. Thanks so much for your kind words. And yes, I promise future visits and hopefully will make it to your BOTB posts, too.

One thing about tastes changing - I find they go round in circles. I don't know whether that's nostalgia, entering a second teenage phase, or just remembering lost loves (!), but I listen more to some things that were gathering dust, and downloaded tracks from albums long gone (I had my collection stolen when I was 24 and never replaced some of it).

Then again, I also find myself enjoying things I wouldn't have gone near when I was younger. And there're so many new artists I'm only just discovering!

But I'm not good at cover versions of things I love, which is why I rarely do your BotB :)

I took piano lessons as a kid but have not kept up with it. In my heart I love rock and roll but I mostly listen to classical--baroque, specifically. I am very distracted by lyrics so need something without words when I am writing.

Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.

For Battle of the Bands voting the "Anonymous" commenting option has been made available though this version is the least preferred. If voting using "anonymous" please include in your comment your name (first only is okay) and city you are voting from and the reason you chose the artist you did.

If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.

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A juggler of words and phrases. My main blog is Tossing It Out. The focus blog for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge can now be found at a-to-zchallenge.com where updates will be posted until the event in April begins.
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